Blackbird Fly
by rizzlescalzonafic
Summary: Set after On My Way, Quinn learns how to truly fly.


Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Glee. 'Blackbird' belongs to the Beetles. No copyright infringement intend. Currently a one-shot but will probably be turned into a much larger story. Please let me know what you think.

_Blackbird singing in the dead of night  
Take these broken wings and learn to fly  
All your life  
You were only waiting for this moment to arise_

The text came out of the blue early one November morning their first semester in college.

**Quinn: I tried out for the swim team.**

**Santana: That's awesome! How'd it go?**

**Quinn: First meet is at Columbia. Will you come watch?!**

**Santana: Rach is shrieking in the background. I think I'm deaf now! Of course we are coming. Your personal Quinn Fabray cheering section. When?**

**Quinn: Saturday. Starts at 10am. Not sure when my heat is yet.**

**Santana: We will be there at 10. Can we hang before or after?**

**Quinn: Def. after.**

Saturday came quickly and Quinn was nervous. Santana visited her at Yale a few times but the rest of the group, she hadn't seen since graduation. She currently sat, in the cool November air, outside the Yale Swim Center in her track suit and letter jacket waiting for the bus to take them to New York City. Matt stood behind her, with their gym bags over his shoulder, his hand resting lightly against her shoulder.

Coach Magee was currently shouting instructions about the schedule and what would happen when they arrived. The team had a lot of freshman this year. Finally the bus arrived. Quinn was dreading this moment, she was getting pretty adept at negotiating obsticals and figuring out ways to work through and around situations so her legs and chair wouldn't limit her. Getting up a flight of stairs on a tour bus was not something she looked forward to. She would be exhausted before she even left Yale. She could definitely do it lifting herself from one step to then the next. Going up would be less scary than going down but she worked really hard to earn the respect of her teammate and struggling up the steps while the men and women's diving and swim teams watched made the butterflies in her stomach take flight. She was going to throw up.

She waited while the rest of the team ran up and down the steps, storing luggage in an early morning, sleep induced daze.

"Can I give the lady a ride?" Matt appeared in front of her with a slight smile. He really was the perfect gentlemen with her. Never condescending... just perfect.

"We'll if you are offering to be my trusty steed then yes." She arched her eyebrow at him.

"Hop on Lady Fabray." He squatted in front of her and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. His fabulously strong shoulders. There was perks to dating a swim jock. Massive shoulders that could carry her to the moon and back. He stood, with her straddling his back and his strong arms holding her legs and hips. For a moment she felt like she was flying, weightless, free and laughed at how silly and great she felt.

"It's ride a cowboy Fabray not ride a rich kid!" Someone from the back cackled, causing the bus to burst into laughter as they crested the top of the steps.

Tracie high-fived her with a knowing smile as Matt gently helped her into a seat. In that moment Quinn realized that with great friends, life could be really good...amazing actually. True friends accepted her with open arms, chair and all.

XxxxxxxX

Santana held Brittany's hand and followed Rachel and Kurt into the swimming hall. It was muggy and smelled like chlorine. Rachel's face was scrunched and Kurt frantically patted at his hair complaining of the humidity and his perfect hairstyle.

"Rach, did Q say this was an able-bodied event?" Santana questioned, confusion lacing her words.

"You talked to her not me. Why'd I wear a skirt?" The short brunette mumbled stepping over seats of bleechers.

"I just figured it would be adaptive." Santana cringed at how that sounded.

Brittany squeezed her hand "We all did, Sannie."

Women in navy blue track suits are all over the deck bellow and the Columbia swim team is in the pool doing their warm-up. Santana spots Quinn first, sitting behind the diving platform. It blocks most of the crowds view but her friends can see her perfectly. She looks so peaceful, in her element. She's wearing the Navy blue warm-up jacket with the Y for Yale proudly on the front, a pair of matching warm-up pants and socks cover her feet. Santana's heart clenches to see Quinn's lifeless feet just hanging there. Quinn never really showed anyone in Glee but she was an amazing tap dancer. She and Quinn would hang out in the blonde's garage and Quinn would just dance away tapping, like a hummingbird, out a rythym that only Quinn could hear.

The ten minute warning for the start of the backstroke is announced.

"Quinn's buff!" Kurt blurts out drawing Santana back into the present. Santana glances back at Quinn. She's taking the jacket off and placing earphones on her head. Santana admits that Quinn is very buff. Her shoulders are super defined and as Quinn slowly stretches one arm above her head and back around behind her mimicking the backstroke, the muscles bunch and relax powerfully like a birds wings in flight. Quinn continues stretching, oblivious to the crowds.

At the five minute warning a women who eerily reminds the former Cheerio of Coach S approaches Quinn. Santana can't make out the conversation but Quinn is looking nervous. The coach says something and Quinn gives that face splitting smile and relaxes.

It physically hurts Santana to watch Quinn use her arms to scoot forward in her chair and pull the track pants off, lifting one leg out and then the other. For as defined and muscular as Quinn's upper body is, her lower body tapers drastically and her legs are thin like sticks. If it still wasn't so fresh in their minds they wouldn't believe it hadn't even been a full year since the accident but the jagged red scars are all over Quinn's legs remind them. She's learning in her physical therapy coursework just how fast muscles can atrophy with disuse. Quickly, Quinn wraps her legs in a towel. There's a real need to keep paralyzed legs warm to prevent muscle spasms and help with circulation, Santana remembers from a text book.

Quinn rolls towards them ignoring the murmering from the gathered crowd. They realize the moment that she notices them, her eyebrow arches in typical Quinn fashion, before she turns left suddenly rolling towards the edge of the pool and spreads a towel out on the deck in front of her. She's the second from the last lane and there are Columbia swimmers on either side of her. Santana feels her anger mount as they share a look over the top of Quinn's head. Quinn simply ignores them going about getting her self from the chair and onto the waiting towel in a fluid movement.

Santana momentarily flashes back to the first months after the accident when Quinn can barely hold herself upright. At the two minute mark Quinn pulls her socks off, places them, her iPod and the towels in her chair and gives the chair a quick shove sending it rolling backwards towards her teammates. She's right at the edge of the pool with an arm wrapped around her legs, which she's pulled up to her chest. She dips into the pool with her other hand and splashes water up onto herself.

At the one minute warning, Quinn looks over towards them but Santana realizes she's not looking at them but at a bunch of the Yale's men's swimming team that are sitting on the first few rows of bleechers. She smiles at someone and nods before focusing back on the water. She has her goggles on and Santana doesn't even remember when Quinn did that.

At the 30 second whistle Quinn pushes off the edge of the pool disappearing below the surface. There is a volley of splashes as the rest of the swimmers in this heat jump in, splashing water. Santana can see the concern on Brittany, Rachel's and Kurt's faces. Rachel releases a shuddering breath when Quinn surfaces.

Santana takes note of how little time Quinn has to wedge her legs between the side of the pool and her upper body on the starting block. The swimmer's hold their bodies in position, still as frozen ice. The five seconds seem like an eternity and Santana can see Quinn's shoulder's quiver under holding her full body weight in that position.

After what seems like forever the starting gun sounds and strong athletic bodies arch off the starting blocks. It's obvious that Quinn doesn't get the push off that everyone else does. She surfaces first only going about the third of the distance the other swimmers get. But as soon as she starts the backstroke she makes up distance, quickly coming out ahead as the other swimmers surface from their initial dive.

Kurt is screaming 'Go Quinn!' louder than Rachel. Brittany has her hands over her ears but she's screaming too.

Quinn's going strong and is actually ahead as they approach the turn. It's a struggle and she doesn't get the push off that the other's do on the turn. By the time the swimmer's surface, three have overtaken her.

'C'mon Lady Fabray! Push through it!' Someone from the male swim team hollers and now the team is on their feet cheering Quinn on. Quinn's body surges faster through the water, strong, powerful shoulders pumping to a beat only Quinn knows.

With one last surge her hand taps the wall. She lets herself float in place for a second savoring the feeling of weightlessness before looping her arm through the bar on the starting block.

Santana watches as Quinn pulls the goggles up to rest on the top of her swimming cap. Quinn comes in third place in the heat. Most of the swimmers duck underneath the lane dividers to reach her lane, patting her on the back or giving her high-fives before swimming back to their own lanes.

Santana can see Quinn's arms shaking with strain of the race and doing all the work for her lower body. Suddenly her chair is there and Quinn pulls herself from the water onto the deck. Quinn's legs are caught in a spasm and she grimaces slightly but there is a smile on Quinn's face that never quits. She lets a teammate with very curly black hair effortlessly pick her up and put her in the chair. Quinn wraps a towel around her legs and another around her shoulders before turning her chair away from the water. But instead of heading back to the spot under the diving platform she turns towards the visiting team locker room. On her way past the men's team, she beams at someone happy tears in her eyes.

Santana, Brittany, Rachel and Kurt echo Quinn's tears.

_Take these broken wings and learn to fly  
You were only waiting for this moment to arise_


End file.
